


Pokemon Scenarios: Kanto Edition

by PukingPlatitudes



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions
Genre: F/F, F/M, Imagines, Reader Insert, Romance, Scenarios, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:14:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5454590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PukingPlatitudes/pseuds/PukingPlatitudes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've managed to catch the eye of your favorite trainer from the Kanto region! But what exactly is that going to be like? (Includes player characters, rivals, gym leaders, the elite four, and villains!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. How You Met

 

【 **Red** 】

You had been training in Mt. Silver for quite some time. Were you technically “allowed” to be there? No. Not really. You had blatantly defied everything you were told by Professor Oak and gone there on your own accord. Did you regret it? Not in the least – even if you were getting your butt kicked more often than you wanted to admit. But at least the trainers were challenging, and that was a great change of pace.

You were training there for about a week, on and off, before you neared the summit and saw a dark haired boy and his Pokemon engaged in a battle with an Ursaring. But as quickly as it began, it had ended. His Pikachu took the opposing Pokemon down in one swift move and it didn't look like there was even a scratch on the small, electric mouse. 

Now in some cases, it might have felt awkward to loudly blurt out compliments to random strangers, but unfortunately your mouth seemed to move without your mind's consent. "That was amazing!" You exclaimed, cringing when you heard your voice echoing off of the cave walls. That wasn't entirely what you intended to do, but there was no way you could pretend that didn't just happen. Not when the mysterious trainer turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at you, looking more confused than anything.

"Sorry." You said, bringing your voice down to a more socially acceptable volume and approaching the strange boy. "But that was really impressive." You added with a grin. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "I'm (y/n) by the way." You mentioned, extending your hand towards him.

There was an uncomfortable pause that felt like an eternity before he finally shook your hand. "I'm Red."

"Red? That name sounds familiar..." You knew you had heard it somewhere, but you couldn't place it. "Huh. Well. It's great to meet you... Maybe we could battle sometime?"

He gave a pensive nod before he motioned for his Pikachu to follow him as he made his way towards the exit to the summit.

He gave you a brief wave goodbye before turning and walking off into the snowy night.

 

【 **Leaf** 】

The Pokemon center in Viridian City wasn't very crowded on that cool autumn night - not like they had been when you were travelling during the summer. While many trainers wouldn't let changing seasons slow down their journeys, it was apparent that there were plenty who would rather not risk being out when the temperatures were dropping and that dreaded thing called snow was becoming more and more of a possibility. 

Maybe that's why you actually noticed when another girl came to join you in the lounge area where people sat while their Pokemon were resting. Typically that wouldn't catch your attention. It happened all the time. But on a night with so few other people around, you felt almost obligated to look up and give her a welcoming smile. The gesture was promptly returned.

"Hey. It's good if I sit here right?" The brunette said with a grin. It was pretty obvious she already knew the answer, but you appreciated the question and the attempt at making conversation.

"Yeah, that's fine by me." You replied, shrugging slightly. 

"Alright, awesome!" She sat down on the couch beside you, despite the other sofas and chairs nearby. "Don't worry. I'll only be bothering you for a minute. My Wartortle got a splinter and he's not cooperating with me." She added with a giggle. "How are your Pokemon doing?"

"Pretty good. My (Pokemon of Choice) just got a little beat up in our last battle."

"Aw, is it going to be okay?" The concern in her voice was unmistakable.

"Yeah, just needs a little -"

"Leaf! You're all set!" Nurse Joy called from behind the counter, holding a very disgruntled looking Wartortle.

"Okay, be right there!" The girl, now known as Leaf, responded. "Before I go, what's your name?" She asked, turning back to you.

"Me? Oh. Uh. (Y/N)."

"(Y/N)? Cool. So I hope I see you around! Tell your (Pokemon of Choice) I say to feel better!"

And with that, she left.

 

【 **Blue** 】

You were more than a little eager to face the Viridian City gym.

Your feet were aching from walking all day, your eyelids were growing heavy from a concerning lack of sleep, and the clock by the doorway to the gym read "9:48 pm".

But you were ready for this battle.

From your understanding, the leader had once been the Indigo League champion. Though he held the title for a  _very_  brief period of time, the only thing that mattered to you was that you were about to face a former Pokemon champion, and that was a situation that you couldn't take lightly. The amount of talent he had to possess was remarkable, and the dedication he - ... Why was he walking towards you? And where were the other trainers?  _Shit_.

"Gym's closed for the night." Blue said. He walked right past you towards the door, as if you didn't even exist.

"It.. It's what?" You managed, trying to choke down your disappointment.

"It's closed. Pokemon masters gotta sleep too." He replied with a smirk, turning around to face you. "And unless ya wanna be locked in here for the next ten hours I suggest leaving."

You heaved a heavy sigh and trudged back over to the door, which he held open for you, much to your surprise. "Thanks." You said with a small smile. Sure, you were crushed, but that didn't mean you couldn't be polite.

"Not a problem. And look, I'll tell ya what. I'm gonna be in again tomorrow morning at seven o'clock sharp. If you show up bright and early, I _might_  even let ya skip the other trainers."

Your face lit up. You knew he noticed, based on the snicker he couldn't be bothered to stifle. But you didn't really care. "I can do that. Absolutely. Thank you  _so_  much!"

"It's nothin'... Well, I gotta get goin'. Smell ya later!" 

【 **Professor Oak** 】

Every trainer remembers the day they got their first Pokemon.

Of course you did too, but when you got yours you weren't in the Kanto region, and because of that you found yourself missing out on some pretty incredible and fascinating Pokemon. But your irritated ranting to (Professor From Chosen Home Region) had paid off, and they had managed to talk Professor Oak into letting you have a Kanto starter. Why? "Because she needs to complete her Pokedex, and getting a starter from the Kanto region would be a surefire way to kick off that branch of her journey."

Yeah, Oak bought that.  _Somehow_.

So you were on your way to pick up your Kanto starter, and the giddiness you felt was nearly on par with the way you felt when you went to pick up your very first Pokemon. It took every drop of self control in your body not to run through the doors of the lab, and instead walk calmly and professionally - like you were a trainer who was dead serious about completing her Pokedex and that you totally weren't lying because you wanted to cuddle a really pudgy Bulbasaur.

"Ah, (y/n)." An older man who you immediately identified as Professor Oak said, greeting you with a firm handshake. "I'm Professor Oak. I've heard so much about you from (Home Region Professor)."

" _Please_  tell me you mean that in the good way." You replied with a smirk.

"Only the best!" He finally let go of your hand. "However, I'm afraid I have some not-so-good news."

"Being..,?"

"Well. Let's just say I assumed that the eggs would have hatched by today." He chuckled sheepishly. "I assure you, it isn't much of an issue! It's just... a bit of a delay is all!"

So it wasn't the  _worst_  news you ever received. It wasn't the best, but it definitely wasn't an issue.

"That's alright." Your voice was still laced with disappointment. "When do you think they'll be hatched by."

"Oh, maybe a day or two at most. I'll give you a call when they've hatched, if you'd like."

"That would be great. (Home Region Professor) gave you my number right?"

"Absolutely!"

"In that case, I'll talk to you then!" 

 

**【 Brock】**

If you had to pick a favorite spot in all of Pewter City, it would have been the small cafe that was hidden down a side street and nestled between two businesses so thriving that people often overlooked the small coffee shop between them. The food and drinks were good, the atmosphere was even better. It was your location of choice to relax and take a break from all the stress that comes with being an aspiring Pokemon master. You didn't have to worry -

"Good morning! How can I help you!?" The barista's voice snapped you back to reality. It was one of the rare days where there was a bit of a line, and you had almost forgotten what you were standing around waiting for. It was hard to hide how horribly you were blushing from the embarrassment, but you made an effort to pretend that your cheeks weren't crimson as you placed your order and then stood off to the side waiting for your drink to be made.

It took you a moment to realize who else was standing beside you waiting, but when he started talking to you it hit you. It was Brock, Pewter City's Gym Leader. "You really need the caffeine today, huh?"

"Yeah. No, I seriously do. It's pretty bad," You replied, giggling slightly.

"So are you from around here?"

"I'm actually from (Insert Hometown/Region Here)."

"Really? Then what brings a pretty girl like you to Pewter City?"

Okay, you didn't want to admit it, but you were actually blushing more at what he said than you were when you were just embarrassed. 

"I'm a Pokemon trainer." You explained, finding it incredibly hard not to smile like an idiot. "I've been travelling for a while now, and I just made it to the area not too long ago."

"A trainer huh? You should stop by the gym some time and challenge me."

"I definitely should!"

"Brock! Your iced latte." The barista said, placing his drink on the counter. 

"That would be mine." He took the drink and began walking towards the door. On his way out, he shouted over his shoulder, "Seriously, you have to stop in sometime!"

And it's not like he had to ask you twice.

**【 Misty】**

You were walking along the shoreline, and your best friend, (insert favorite pokemon's name here) was following along at your side. The sun was hanging low in the sky and the wind coming off the sea was as brisk and salty as anyone would have expected. It was the ideal day for a swim, if you had remembered your bathing suit. Instead you just settled for ambling along the beach and taking in the moment. Which was great, until you got hit in the head with a Frisbee. 

It fell to the ground with an anticlimactic  _thud_ , and you were quick to follow.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry!" A female was calling out. You heard the patter of wet feet against sand, and soon saw a red headed girl leaning over you. "Are you okay!?"

"Mostly," You groaned, propping yourself up on your elbows.

"Alright, that's good!" She said with a laugh. "I'm sorry about that." She extended her hand towards you as an offer to help you up. You took it, and she assisted you back to your feet. 

"Thanks." You replied, rubbing the spot on your head where the Frisbee struck. It definitely didn't draw any blood, but there was already a notable bump forming. 

"Don't thank me! I'm the one who hit you." She reached out and brushed some sand off of your arm. 

"I mean, you didn't  _have_  to help me up. I'm gonna thank you for that either way."

"It's the least I could do." She leaned down to pick up the Frisbee. "Anyway, I've gotta get back to my friends. Oh! And before I forget! My name's Misty."

"(Y/N)."

"Alright! So, I'll see you around."

She gave you a wave goodbye, and ran back into the water.

 

**【 Lt. Surge】**

"What's going on up here?" You asked - to nobody in particular, just whoever would be willing to answer. 

There was a rather large crowd on Route 11, and it was at the point that you couldn't see over anyone. Pushing through the crowd didn't even seem likely, as everyone was clearly in a horrible mood and you didn't want to start anything with people that you didn't have to. 

"Snorlax." A tall blonde man said in reply. "It's blocking the road again."

"Again? Does this happen a lot?"  

"More than any of us want to talk about."  He chuckled. "I'm Lieutenant Surge, by the way. The gym leader in Vermilion City."

You weren't surprised he was a lieutenant, let a gym leader - not with his tall, proud posture and the way he spoke with an air of authority. Even his  _chuckle_  seemed self-assured and confident. "I'm (y/n). I'm a trainer, from (hometown)."

"Really? You consider yourself any good?"

There was something about his tone that sounded like he was challenging you - maybe not to a battle, but it was a challenge nonetheless. "I like to think I am."

"Huh... Well, then I've got a challenge for you."  _There it was_. "I've got a friend back in Celadon City who's got a Poke Flute. We're gonna need that to get this thing to move."

"So you want me to run an errand for you?" You found yourself smirking, and cocking your brow at his so-called "challenge".

He stammered for a second before chuckling again. "Yeah, I guess you could say it like that. But come on. What do you say?"

You heaved a dramatic sigh and rolled your eyes playfully. "I guess I  _might_  be able to manage that." Your irritated facade quickly turned to a smile. "I'll be back in a bit."

 

**【 Erika】**

You had the small, trembling Bulbasaur cradled in your arms as you made your way past the entrance of the Celadon City gym, trailing behind Nurse Joy. The poor little creature had been in terrible shape when you found him huddled under some brush, and despite how good Nurse Joy's care for him was, he wasn't able to be  _entirely_  saved. Most of him was fine, but he was now missing one of his front legs, and according to Nurse Joy there was one specific trainer in the area who would excel at caring for the small grass Pokemon, and make sure that he would be able to make an extra-hasty recovery regardless of his setback.

"Erika!" Nuse Joy called out as she continued making her way hastily to the back of the gym. No response. "Erika!"

Finally the two of you came across the gym leader. She was laying in the grass, seemingly fast asleep, with a Vileplume napping at her side. " ** _Erika_**!"

The sound of Nurse Joy's voice startled the dark haired girl awake, causing her to jolt up suddenly and send the Vileplume running. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry about that... It's just so lovely in here that sometimes I just... Doze off a bit." Her cheeks were tinted with a faint pink as she sheepishly admitted to galling asleep. "Is that the Pokemon you were telling me about?" 

Nurse Joy nodded, stepping aside and allowing you to come forward with the Bulbasaur. 

"He's quite beautiful." Erika mentioned, standing up and extending her arms to take him from you. As you handed him over to her, he reached out his arms towards you and let out a timid cry. "Oh, don't worry, little one." She giggled - it was light and airy, as if she was afraid of making too much noise. "It seems like he likes you quite a bit... What's your name?"

"I'm (y/n)." You said with a smile, reaching out to pet the frightened Pokemon.

"Well, (y/n), I think he's going to miss you a lot... Maybe you should come in and visit him sometime. I'm sure that would make him feel a lot better."

"I'd like that." Your smile quickly turned into a toothy grin, but it was cut short by Nurse Joy insisting that you give them both some time to rest. Reluctantly, you left the gym.

 

**【 Koga】**

You couldn't really say Janine was your "Friend". She was more of an acquaintance that you trained with regularly. Neither of you pried too much into each other's lives, but every now and then you'd wind up hanging out without battling, or chatting over dinner. So when she was running late while you two were supposed to be training one day, it was inevitably awkward when you were stuck loitering in her house waiting for her to finish getting ready. You knew her father was the gym leader, but you hadn't met him, and quite frankly you weren't sure if you wanted to. He seemed more than a little bit intimidating.

Granted, there was no real way to avoid him. Not when you heard him coming down the stairs while you were seated at the kitchen table. What were you supposed to do? Hide in a cabinet? Throw yourself out the window and pretend that it didn't hurt as you made a run for it? No, you were stuck there. Face to face with Koga - and speaking of faces, why did his look so damn nice?  _Stop that, that's weird_. 

You really couldn't manage to shake that thought no matter how hard you tried.

"Hi," You managed, fighting past several different layers of awkwardness and discomfort.

"Hello. You must be (y/n), correct?" You nodded. "Janine's told me quite a bit about you. She says you're a very strong trainer."

"I mean... I'm not  _bad_." Talking to him was proving to be a little bit more of a challenge than you had hoped... However it was about as much of one as you  _expected_.

A hearty laugh caught you off guard. He was...  _Laughing?_  That, on the other hand, wasn't expected. "Well, since you're 'not bad', could I interest you in a position at my gym? Janine and I have been discussing it for quite some time. We think it would be a great experience for you."

"A-absolutely!" You couldn't stop a wide grin from spreading on your face. "That would be great!"

"Take it he told you?" Janine said, coming into the room. All you could do was nod. "Awesome! Well, we'll work out the details later. Come on, (y/n), we've gotta practice more!"

 

【 **Janine** 】

You were on your way to Fuchsia Gym when you ran into her - Janine - the gym leader. It was clear you were a trainer, from your (favorite Pokemon) traveling beside you, and perhaps it was because of that Janine noticed you. That, or the way you stared at her with a very obvious look of disappointment no matter how desperately you tried to hide it. "Oh, hi. Were you on your way to challenge the gym?"

You nodded. "Yeah, but I'm taking it this is a bad time. I can just come back later." You managed to force a laugh at the end. Hopefully it wasn't too obviously fake.

"Well, I have to go bring my father his lunch. You know how it is, elite four members never really get breaks... But it shouldn't take too long!" It was pretty clear that she didn't want to pass up your challenge. It was rather flattering, actually. Maybe it almost made up for the disappointment.

"It's good." You replied. "I don't have anything else to do today. When do you think you'll be back?"

"It'll only be maybe half an hour. Forty-five minutes at the most." She pursed her lips pensively - but only for a second before her eyes lit up with an idea. "If you want you could wait in the gym. I keep some snacks and berries near the entrance in case I get hungry. You can help your self to them. Maybe your Pokemon could use a treat or something..."

"Snacks... In a poison type gym? I dunno. Something about that is sounding like a  _really_  bad idea." You smirked. 

Janine's face went crimson instantly, and that was quickly followed by laughter. "No! Okay, no! I know that sounds bad but I promise they're safe!"

"That's exactly what somebody who was trying to poison someone would say." Your voice was oozing with fake skepticism, and you caught yourself starting to giggle.

"Stop that!" She managed, in the midst of her fit of laughter. "You're going to make this take even longer!" 

"You brought this on yourself!"

"Oh shut up!" She said with a playful smile. "Do you want to get in the gym or not?"

And so you went into the gym, and waited. No matter how skeptical you were of the snacks.

 

【 **Sabrina** 】

Your friend described Saffron Gym as "creepy" - and after seeing it, you couldn't blame her for not wanting to go in alone. It wasn't creepy in the old, rundown way that one would expect. In fact, it was surprisingly high tech. But there was something off about it, and even though you didn't want to ignore that feeling, you were obligated to. So you choked down your fears and agreed to escort your friend through it... Besides, if you were going to bail you'd have to walk out  _alone_  and that was the exact opposite of what you wanted.

You stuck close to your friend as she made her way through the gym, battling trainer after trainer and eventually coming face to face with the gym leader, Sabrina. She was actually rather pretty, and didn't seem anywhere as odd as you had expected her to be. That is, until she started talking.

"I've been expecting you." She began. Her eyes didn't look like they were on your friend. They looked like they were on  _you_. But that wouldn't have made much sense. Besides, she's been "expecting you"? If it were any other place, with any other person saying that you wouldn't have bought it for a minute. However this gym was incredibly unsettling and you had heard about Sabrina's incredible psychic powers from pretty reliable sources. "I don't particularly  _like_  battling, but if you would like to, I accept your challenge." Her gaze turned to your friend. Which meant she  _was_  looking at you before... 

You brought yourself back to focus as the battle kicked off. Your friend was able to hold her own at first, and it looked like the two were evenly matched. That is, until you noticed that Sabrina hadn't been telling her Pokemon to do anything. They  _knew_  what they were supposed to be doing, but she wasn't saying a word. Then it hit you - she was communicating with them telepathically. 

Maybe it was  _that_  that put your friend at a disadvantage, causing her to lose in a matter of minutes. Your friend recalled her last Pokemon into its ball and headed towards the door out of the gym. "I'll see you both again." Sabrina said, recalling her Abra.

"Yeah, you probably will." Your friend muttered, gesturing you to follow her.

"I know I will."

 

**【 Blaine】**

Cinnibar Island wasn't the most relaxing place by a lot of standards. Most people wouldn't really choose a volcano as a place to spend their free time and unwind. However if there was one thing that was for sure, it was peaceful in its own sense, and you found it to be an incredible place to go and write, draw, and read. The only other people that frequented the island were trainers on their way to face Blaine's gym, and it was rare for anyone to take time out of their day to stop and bother you. 

That was until one afternoon, when you were sitting by the shore scribbling in a notebook. You heard somebody approach you - the typical sounds of footsteps on the volcanic sand, and one unidentified sound. When you turned to face the stranger, you realized it was the sound of his cane being shoved into the sand. Instantly you recognized the man standing there. Blaine. The gym leader.

"Hello there." He said, sounding surprisingly jovial. "The name's Blaine."

"I've heard of you." You said with a smile. "I'm (y/n)." 

There was a level of discomfort to the dialogue. Like he was there for a reason, and you were skeptical as to  _why_. Which made sense, as you had been coming there for months and he hadn't approached you before.

"It's about time I got your name." He chuckled. "A few trainers in the gym saw you down here alone and were wondering if you were okay. I told them you come here to relax from time to time - at least that's what it  _looks_  like you're doing. But they were persistent so I decided to come on down and see if you really are alright."

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I just like coming here to write." You gestured to your notebook, earning a grin from the older man.

"A writer, eh? You and I are going to have to have a talk about that sometime. I'm a bit of a reader, myself." His chuckle turned into a hearty laugh. "I'm going to have to head back to the gym, for now. But I'm sure I'll see you around."

"What gave you that idea?" You giggled.

"Call it a hunch." He winked, and began the walk back to his gym.

You couldn't help but wonder why a man who needed a cane to walk would have gone out of his way to make the trek to the beach to see you.

 

**【 Giovanni】**

If somebody asked "hey, why did you join Team Rocket?" you honestly wouldn't  _want_  to give a truthful answer. It wasn't for the money. It wasn't for the power. It was because your best friend had been coerced into joining. She desperately wanted out, but she wasn't able to quit. She begged you to step in and help her out, and you tried. Somehow in the course of agreeing to help your friend and approaching one of the Team Rocket admins, you had gotten sucked into it as well. It wasn't your proudest moment, and when the other grunts asked you why you joined you would just lie about it. Because there was absolutely  _no_  way you would admit that you managed to fuck up that spectacularly.

You had been working for Team Rocket for just over a month when you first came face to face with Giovanni. You and your friend were among the more competent grunts (despite both joining by accident) and because of that he had a very specific task he wanted to give you both.

Standing in front of his desk while he sat there with his Persian, you could feel your heart nearly beating out of your chest.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed with the both of you." He began, "(Y/N), you in particular have shown exceptional promise."

You weren't sure if that was a good thing. On one hand, that meant you had been doing a good job at being a terrible person. On the other, the compliment from Giovanni was enough to warrant excessive blushing on your part. "Th-thank you, sir." You managed.

"As you know, we're planning on expanding mining operations in Mt. Moon. A man in Cerulean City has a TM for 'dig' that would speed up our process exponentially. I would like the two of you to go and retrieve it for me."

"Yes, sir." You and your friend both said with a nod. 

"Remember, I expect nothing but the best."

 

**【 Lorelei】**

You didn't want to be the sort of person to take off running the minute danger showed up, but sometimes a person's self-preservation instinct kicks in when they least want it to. For example, when you were training in Icefall Cave and Team Rocket showed up. You wanted to fend them off, or at least make a valiant effort to. Instead, you found yourself running frantically towards the exit, hoping with every fiber of your being they wouldn't harm you, or worse - steal your Pokemon. 

But perhaps your self-preservation instinct backfired a little bit. In your attempt to save yourself and your Pokemon, you had made the mistake of sprinting in a cave full of  _ice_  (which based on the name was probably something you should have seen coming). 

Any amount of stealth you had before - any little chance of Team Rocket not seeing you - was absolutely torn to shreds when your feet hit ice, and you let out a rather loud scream as you began sliding uncontrollably. Yet as quick as it began, it ended, as you felt yourself collide against something and fall to the ground. " _Shit_!" You hissed, scrambling to get to your feet. It was only then you realized what you hit, or more accurately  _who_  you hit.

It was Lorelei, of the Elite Four. Your tone quickly changed from agitated and terrified, to frantic and apologetic. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" You reached out your hand to her.

"It's okay." She said with a small smile as you helped her to her feet. "Really, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I just... Ugh." Between the fear and embarrassment, you were having an incredibly hard time holding yourself together. 

"Don't worry." She placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "But you should probably get out of here. I have a feeling things are about to get pretty ugly."

You nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

And with that, you began running again - perhaps a little more cautiously this time around.

 

**【 Agatha】**

"Ah, (Y/N)! There you are! We were just talking about you!" Professor Oak said, smiling widely as you walked into his lab. Beside him was an older woman, with blonde hair and dark eyes - a familiar face that you couldn't seem to be able to place. "This is Agatha, from the Elite Four. Her and I have known each other since we were... Hm... I'd say younger than you!" 

The amount of awkwardness you were experiencing was nearly tangible.

"So you're the one that Sam here has taken under his wing, huh?" She said with a rather smug grin.

"Yep, that would be me." You replied, a halfhearted shrug gracing your shoulders. 

"I see..." She took a sip of something from the mug beside her - coffee, you figured, based on the fact that there was another pot of it brewing on the counter. "You know, it's been impossible to shut him up about you and all your 'accomplishments'. But I have to say, you don't look all that strong." 

"Excuse you?" Even though her tone was playful, there wasn't any denying that comment was more than a little offensive.

She laughed, as you and Oak sat there in silence trying to figure out exactly how either of you were supposed to be responding to this.

"I'll tell you what. You think you're that good? Come by the Pokemon League and battle me sometime. We'll put you to the test." She chuckled.

"I'll have to do that sometime." You grumbled, before turning to face Oak. "I just stopped in to let you know that your car's headlights have been on since like five in the morning."

Oak's face dropped, while Agatha's managed to light up even further, and she giggled almost maniacally at her friend's poor memory.

The most you could really bring yourself to do was to turn around and leave.

 

**【 Bruno】**

You stood outside the Pokemon League with your friend, who was fervently pleading with security to let her back in. She had managed to defeat Lorelei, but subsequently lost to Bruno, and managed to lose one her trainer card somewhere between those two battles. Without it, there was no valid way for security to tell she was a licensed trainer, and with the Team Rocket issues going on, they were apparently too stubborn to risk it.

"What if I just go in!?" You finally snapped, pulling your trainer card out from your bag. 

Sure enough, security accepted it.

You were escorted to Lorelei's room to look, and when that failed they lead you into Bruno's. 

"You're not a challenger are you?"

Those were the first words out of Bruno's mouth as he made his way across the room to you.

"Nope. I'm just here to find my friend's trainer card." It wasn't until he was standing right in front of you that you realized how tall he actually was. "You uh... You wouldn't happen to have seen it, would you?" You squeaked out, admittedly intimidated by the rather large, muscular man.

But the intimidation faded the minute he laughed. At what? You weren't sure, but you were guessing it was the sudden change in your demeanor.

"Yeah, I have it right here." He handed you the card, completely unscathed. "What, was she too afraid to come in and face me herself?"

"We can go with that." You said, glaring markedly at the security guards beside you. 

Bruno simply mouthed the word "Oh" and gave you a look of both pity and understanding. "Good luck," He added with a smirk, as you were escorted out.


	2. Seeing Them Again

 

【 **Red** 】

You couldn't get the strange boy from Mt. Silver out of your head, no matter how hard you tried.

It had been a week since you stumbled across him while he was training near the summit, and thoughts of him kept working their way into your mind. Partly due to his strength and talent, but mostly due to how insufferably intriguing he was.

The only thing you knew about him was that his name was Red, and even that left you with more questions than answers. You heard stories about a trainer named Red from the Kanto region who helped stop Team Rocket a few years before, You wondered if he was that same trainer, but that didn't make any sense. What would such a revered trainer be doing all alone on a mountain?

You had to find out.

You left in the dead of night, sneaking onto the mountain through the gate while the guard was dreary and distracted.

Then you spent the day locked in battle with various wild Pokemon in a desperate attempt to make it to the summit before the cold became too unbearable. With every step - with every fight - you hoped that you'd stumble across Red again. That he would overhear the cries of the Pokemon and come to investigate, or that you'd just stumble across him wandering through the caverns. 

By the time you neared the summit you could feel the chill in the air becoming more pronounced, and you began to lose feeling in your nose. 

You began to worry - if Red wasn't up there, you'd have wasted your time and energy, but more importantly, you'd have to figure out how to get down without freezing to death or collapsing from exhaustion. Your Pokemon couldn't fly in the zephyrs of that altitude, and you were too neglectful to pack food. This wasn't the magnificent idea you originally seemed to think it was.  You could feel your fingertips beginning to ache from the harsh temperature and the thought of turning back grew more and more frequent. Every so often you could feel yourself begin to shake, but you kept moving.

With every step you took, the air grew colder and the wind grew more fierce. The shape of the caverns acted as a wind tunnel, amplifying the gales of the raging storm outside.

Finally you reached the end of the cave, and stepped out onto the snow covered peak. It appeared mostly barren, and you could hardly see through the snow.

But then you noticed it - a figure standing off in the distance.

Struggling to walk in the blizzard-like conditions, you made your way over to it in some last ditch effort to locate the strange boy you blindly risked your life to hunt down.

The shadowy shape grew clearer, and you confirmed it. It was Red, staring ahead at you with a look of awe, or complete confusion (it was fairly hard to tell in that sort of weather).

"H-hey." You managed through a trembling jaw. You weren't sure what else to say - you hadn't planned it out that far. But you had question, that much you were sure of. "I was w-wond... wondering a f-few things."

"Are you okay?" His voice kept low, and he said no more than necessary. It didn't surprise you in the least.

"Y-yeah. Totally... I j-... I'm just a l-little cold i-is all." It was a struggle to breathe in the frigid air.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Poke Ball. With one swift move he released the creature within - a Charizard. He gestured for it to bend down slightly, and climbed on its back. He then motioned for you to do the same. And with unsteady legs and a weary gait you did as he asked, ignoring your confusion in favor of getting close to the warm Pokemon (and of course, the enigmatic boy). 

"Hold on." Red instructed. Hesitantly you wrapped your arms around him, though pulled him closer the minute you felt his body heat.

With that, his Charizard took off into the sky.

You woke up later that day at a Pokemon center, completely unscathed. There was no sign of red, save for a small note in your pocket reading: " _You fell asleep. Dropped you off in Viridian City. Will visit soon. - Red_ "

【 **Leaf** 】

You had been in Veridian City for about a week, spending each day on the routes outside the city and each day chatting with other trainers who wandered through the city looking for challenges and adventure, much like yourself. It was fantastic - the exact sort of thing you always dreamed about when you aspired to go on your Pokemon journey. But as enjoyable as it was, it was time for you to continue on with your travels. The only thing you needed to do was defeat Blue and get the Earth Badge.

You wanted to believe you were ready, but there was still doubt lurking in the back of your mind.

With weak knees and a racing heart you made your way to the gym. You ran over a mental list of Pokemon you knew he had, and comments other trainers made about him. The most you could be sure of was that making your way through his gym could be a massive pain in the ass.

You reached for the door handle just to have it yanked away. The door swing open revealing a brown haired girl with bright eyes and a familiar smile.

"Hey!" She chirped when she saw your face. "It's you!"

A grin spread across your face at the sight of her. "Leaf!" Your face flushed at your own enthusiasm. You didn't mean to come off as so thrilled, but you couldn't help it. Just seven days before you were worried that you might never see her again, and now here she was standing in front of you with a gleaming pin on her shirt. "Beat Blue?"

"Yep!" She beamed. "He's such an ass. Not too tough, though."

"Really?" You were surprised, by both her confidence and the alleged ease in which she conquered the gym leader. She was either lying through her teeth, or an incredibly talented trainer. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.

"Yeah." She insisted, adjusting her bag. "It was figuring out the times that really blew, but I don't think you'll have a problem with them."

You cocked your brow, not sure what she was getting at.

"You seem smart." She elaborated with a mischievous smirk.

"Well so do you, and if you didn't think it was easy then I'm probably screwed."

"Nah." She blushed, looking nearly sheepish. "I'm not that brainy. I don't even know how I'm able to hold a conversation sometimes. Like if we were to go out to dinner or something I feel like I'd just look stupid compared to you."

"No you wouldn't!" You couldn't believe somebody like Leaf would think lowly of herself in any situation. She had come across as so confident, it was a shock hearing such a negative statement coming out of her mouth.

"Huh..." She paused, a devilish smirk creeping onto her face, shattering the illusion of self pity. "Maybe we should put it to the test then?"

You stammered, face growing hot. You weren't too sure how to respond to that.

"Tomorrow at seven? We can meet here and figure out where to go."

Finally you managed to form words again. "Yeah, I'd... I'd be up for that."

"Awesome! Good luck at the gym!"

With that, she ran off, leaving you to contemplate what just happened.

You didn't know if it was a date. You didn't know if she felt the same butterflies in her stomach when she looked at you that you felt when you looked at her. But what you  _did_  know was that you were okay with sticking around Viridian City for just a little while longer.

【 **Blue** 】

Your eyelids were still heavy when you reached the gym, squinting as the morning sun seared your retinas. It was a struggle to get your legs moving, and an even greater struggle to keep them that way. 

You regretted taking Blue up on his offer with every fiber of your being, but at that point there was no turning back. 

You tried the door handle and found that it was locked. Uttering a disgruntled whine, you pressed your forehead to the glass. This was the least enjoyable morning you had in a very long time, on the one day you were hoping things would go great. That seemed to be how everything always worked out - things being perfect right up until you actually needed them to be. On the special occasions? That's when everything turned to shit.

"Hey!" A boy's voice shouted from behind you. "Get your head off the glass! You're gonna make it all smudgy."

You reluctantly straightened your neck and turned to see who it was.

Blue stood behind you, a brown paper bag in one hand and a tray with coffees and sodas in the other. "Do me a favor and hold this, would ya?"

"What?" You grumbled, completely unable to process what he wanted from you.

"Hold it." He repeated with a shake of the bag. "You want me to unlock the door right?"

What he was saying  _finally_  registered. "Oh. Yeah. I can do that."

You took the bag as he reached into his pockets, fishing for his keys. It felt as if it was taking forever, though that might have been due to the fact that you were far too tired to qualify as "alive".

"You coming in?"

You looked over to see Blue holding the door open, watching you with an amused smirk. 

You nodded and solemnly shuffled into the building.

"Are you doing okay?" Blue seemed to be suppressing a laugh. "You're like a zombie right now."

"I didn't sleep much." You confessed, staring at the gym leader with a vacant expression. 

"Ya don't say." A snicker left his lips. "Here, get yourself caffeinated." He extended the drink tray to you. "Figured you'd need something as much as I do this early. So take your pick. Anything but mine."

You examined your options, avoiding the iced coffee with "Blue" scrawled on the side in a barista's hasty handwriting. You selected the most tempting of the options, taking a sip instantly. It was immediate relief - even if you weren't automatically more awake, the prospect of feeling better was enough to improve your mood. "Thanks. You didn't have to, though."

"Whatever." He smirked, taking a drink of his own beverage. "And uh, open that bag."

You did as he asked, and saw several delicious looking doughnuts. "Hand me the chocolate glazed. You can have whatever else you find."

You didn't hesitate to choose your favorite and bite into it. "Seriously, thank you so much."

"Ah, drop it. It's nothing... Now about that battle." His face was smug as ever, and there was an eager glint in his eyes. "You ready?"

"To an extent." You grumbled through a mouth full of pastry.

"Then let's get to it."

The battle was swift - and in your fatigued state your victory came as a surprise to you.

"Not bad!" Blue didn't sound nearly as shocked as you were. "You better feel proud. Y'know, I was champion for a little while."

"How long?"

"That doesn't matter, what I'm saying is that you're good." He handed you the badge.

"You were champion for like a day, weren't you?"

"Ah, shut up."

【 **Professor Oak** 】

You were woken up around eight in the morning by an incessant ringing. Usually you'd try to block the calls, and hope that the person would stop trying to contact you until later. But whoever it was was persistent and there didn't seem to be anything you could do to deter them.

When you came to terms with the fact that there was no avoiding social interaction, you decided to answer the call.

"Hello?" You grumbled, your eyes still half closed.

"Good! (Y/N)! You're awake!" Professor Oak's unmistakable voice said on the other end of the line.

"Not by choice." You replied with a slight laugh. "What's going on?"

"Remember the Pokemon you're waiting on?"

"I don't think I could forget that." Even in your groggy state you found yourself smiling.

"They've hatched!" He exclaimed, the joy apparent in his voice. "You can come down whenever you want, but the sooner the better!"

"Really!? But wait... Why sooner?"

"Let's just say they're getting a little rowdy." As if on cue, there was a crash in the background.

"Don't you have Poke Balls or something to keep them in until they calm down?"

"Er..." There was an uncomfortable pause before he sheepishly continued. "I seem to be out."

You giggled, not even bothering to mask your amusement. "How does a Pokemon professor run out of Poke Balls?"

There was some incoherent stammering coming from his end.

"Y'know, I don't even wanna know. I'll be over in a few."

And you were - you hurried out of your house as quickly as you could, skipping about half of your morning routine just to get there as soon as physically possible. You were panting by the time you ran through the doors of the lab. Before you could catch your breath, you were greeted with the thrilled cries from two young Pokemon. A Squirtle was frantically trying to get your attention, and a Bulbasaur was running in figure eights around your feet.

"No wonder you're overwhelmed!" You called out, unsure of where Oak was.

"Oh good, you're here!" He responded, his voice coming from further in the building. "They're really quite delightful, I promise!"

It was a struggle to walk towards the sound of the professor's voice - or more accurately, it was a struggle to walk at all - with the tiny Pokemon swarming your ankles.

At long last, you located him, arms extended under his desk in an attempt to grab something. What, exactly, you weren't sure. But it seemed important.

"There's one more, don't you worry. The Charmander is just a little bit shy."

"Is that what you're reaching for?"

"Well... yes."

You giggled again, sitting down on the floor by the desk. "If you want, I can try to coax it out."

"Would you?"

"Sure." You shrugged.

"Would you mind if I ran to get some Poke Balls while you're trying?"

"I'd  _encourage_  it."

【 **Brock** 】

You didn't want to be the sort of person to go out of your way to try and hunt down a guy, no matter how great he was. You didn't want to come off as pathetic or desperate, or anything of the sort. But you _were_  the sort of person to keep returning to that same cafe when you met Brock in hopes of encountering him again. Unfortunately, even after two weeks passed you still hadn't run into him. You were starting to worry you never would.

He  _did_  invite you to check out the gym, but since you didn't plan on challenging it that could have turned out incredibly awkward. And  _that_  would have been worse than just not seeing in at all. It seemed like an impossible dilemma, and you chose to cope with it by going off to train in Diglett's Cave.

Once you entered, you noticed a strange sound. It wasn't a Pokemon, as far as you could tell.

The only thing you could think to do was hunt down the source. At best you'd find a completely benign cause, and at worst you'd stumble across something that would want you dead. But you considered yourself to be a competent trainer, and you weren't above taking off running if things looked too grim. It couldn't be anything that could truly worry you.

You nearly jumped when you turned a corner to see a man, covered in dust, mining away at a very specific (and visibly crumbling) fissure on the cave wall. It took you a moment to realize who it was, but once you did you couldn't get fight your smilee, or the joy welling up inside you.

"Brock?" You asked, cringing at the way your voice sounded echoing off the high cavern ceilings.

He jumped slightly at the sudden noise, and turned to see who was there. A grin quickly spread on his dirt covered face. "Hey! What are you doing here?!"

The fact that he seemed just as excited to see you as you were to see him caused your heart to flutter. "I was actually just coming down here to do some training,... What are you up to?"

"Fossil hunting!" He responded, the passion for his hobby apparent in his demeanor. "There's a machine at the museum that can transform fossil Pokemon back into actual  _living_  Pokemon! I'm not sure how they do it, but it's incredible." He paused for a moment before softly adding. "I also like to collect them.

"Wait really? Fossils are cool, but fossil  _Pokemon_? Being restored!? That's amazing!"

"I know! Have you ever had a chance to see one in person?"

You frowned slightly. "Not yet, unfortunately."

He hesitated, a pensive expression plastered on his face before he turned and reached into a bucket at his side. He pulled out a rock and handed it to you. "Take this back to the museum, then."

"Wait,  _what_?" There was no hiding your shock and confusion. " _Seriously!?_ "

"Sure." He grinned. "I have plenty... Besides, you're cute when you're happy."

【 **Misty** 】

Taking a walk on the beach by Cerulean City was still peaceful, even after nearly getting a concussion from a poorly aimed Frisbee. Mostly because you weren't entirely worried about the same thing happening again. Even if it did, it would be a good excuse to get to talk to Misty again, assuming you weren't left with any legitimately concerning head trauma as a result.

Of course, if you were given a chance to talk to Misty that  _didn't_  involve any sort of injury or a large, painful object flying towards your face, you'd happily take that too. Frankly, you just wanted an opportunity to chat with her, and have a  _real_  conversation. Not that the last interaction you two had wasn't satisfactory - it just wasn't the way you'd like her to remember you.

Then there's the matter of how desperately you wanted her to remember you. You hoped more than anything that she thought of you from time to time, even if it was just as "that person who nearly had to go to the hospital because of me". Maybe you were so enamored  _because_  of some sort of related brain damage, but that didn't change the fact that you had to become shamefully infatuated with her.

You were wandering the beach, pretending there wasn't some small part of you praying to run across her when you heard her when you heard the familiar sound of a volleyball striking the sand next to your feet. You looked to find the source, and found a group of people from their teens to twenties standing by a net a couple years away, staring at you with sheepish expressions.

"Sor-  _wait!!!_ " One of the people called out. You were slightly put off by the sudden exclamation, but not enough to stop you from picking up the ball and preparing to return it to them, "This can't be for real!" Whoever it was, was laughing - not just a small giggle, but a genuine laugh that was near contagious. It might have been  _truly_  contagious if you knew what was so funny.

Then, you understood.

Misty came darting over to you, kicking up dust with every step she took. Somehow, you had nearly become a target for her terrible aim once again. You couldn't help but begin laughing hysterically.

"This is getting to be an issue." Misty said between breaths.

"I'm starting to think you're trying to kill me." You teased, wiping a few tears from your eyes.

"I wouldn't kill you!"

"Sounds like something a killer would say!" You replied. "Who hired you?"

"What!?" She sounded nearly appalled by your joking accusations. "Nobody hired me!"

"So it's a personal vendetta then! Or maybe you're just a bloodthirsty maniac and I'm your ideal victim!"

Her face was flushed and you could no longer tell if it was from her cackling, or embarrassment from her repeated failure to dodge your taunting. Regardless, it was kind of cute. Which isn't exactly what you were trying to think, but you just couldn't shake that observation.

"I would never try and kill you!" Her voice raised in pitch the more frantic she got. "I'll just... I'll stick to the head trauma!"

"A confession!" You shouted, fighting back the giggles in your throat.

The two of you paused your conversation to catch your breath, and ease your aching sides. However neither of you could get rid of the smiles on your faces.

"Hey, so uh..." Misty began, the tone of her voice changing slightly. "I'm gonna have to go home soon, but we're going to be playing again this time tomorrow. If you want, you can join us."

"I wanna say yes, but I'm gonna warn you in advance that I'll probably suck."

"And I'll probably hit you with the ball." She snickered. "It's all okay as long as nobody gets seriously hurt."

"In that case? Count me in."

【 **Lt. Surge** 】

Getting the Poke Flute was far more difficult than it needed to be. You had to backtrack several miles, the person you were getting it from wasn't notified you were coming and had it buried somewhere in a drawer, and on tip of that they didn't seem to believe you when you claimed you needed it. Whether it was because "sleeping Snorlax emergency" didn't sound convincing enough, or because something about your demeanor just screamed "flute thief", you couldn't be sure. Whatever the case, it was the biggest pain in the ass you ever had the displeasure of going through. If you could have gone back in time you would have just tried your luck climbing over the fat, slumbering beast. It seemed like it would be easier, and on the off chance it woke and attacked you, at least you might have wound up dead and not trying to negotiate with the most stubborn asshole you encountered in your entire life.

Needless to say, you were a little bit on the cranky side when you returned to Surge. You were fortunate enough to find him standing by the blocked pathway instead of having to go hunt him down, but that somehow did nothing to improve your mood.

"You're back" Surge said in a matter-of-fact manner at your arrival. He was peering at you from behind his sunglasses, which did nothing to hide his amusement given that his smirk was plain as day. "Everything go well?"

"I'm just gonna guess by the tone of your voice that you  _knew_  what I was gonna have to deal with."

He shrugged slightly, taking the Poke Flute from you. "Vague idea." He confirmed, making the frown on your face even more apparent. "But you did it. I'm impressed. I know a lot of people who wouldn't have stuck with it."

"And by that you mean almost anyone else with self respect?"

He chuckled - an unexpected response. "You could say that"

"So what do we do now?"

"I get this to somebody who can play it." He spoke to you like you should have already known. "Then, we're done."

"Sounds easy enough."

He paused, looking down at the instrument in his hand. "Absolutely... Know anyone who can play?"

Your jaw hung open and your brow furrowed. This wasn't what you wanted to hear - this was the exact  _opposite_ , in fact. " _Seriously_?"

His smirk shifted into a grin, followed by a chuckle. Then a laugh. And you were terribly confused.

"I have it under control." He smiled. "I've got someone who can play. I was just messing with you."

He didn't strike you as the kind of person to do that, leaving you feeling just as confused as before, but notably more relieved at his comment. "You know, you actually had me there for a second."

"I could tell. You looked about ready to murder me."

"I was strongly considering it."

"I don't think you could if you tried, but I like your confidence."

For some reason such a simple remark made your chest flutter.

"I'm gonna go see what I can do about moving this thing, but uh... Thanks." His voice changed, far more gentle than before. "You really didn't have to do that. I appreciate it. And I know everyone else does too."

"It's nothing." You insisted.

"It was definitely something." He didn't seem keen on changing his stance. "Let me make it up to you.

You tilted your head like a baffled Growlithe.

"Why don't I treat you to lunch tomorrow?"

You could feel your eyes light up at his offer. "I'd be up for that."

"Meet me at the gym around 12:30 and we can figure something out."

【 **Erika** 】

Your knees were weak when you entered the Celadon Gym, and your heart was racing. You were invited by Erika to stop in and visit the Bulbasaur, and in theory that should have been an easy thing to do. There wasn't anything weird about visiting the Pokemon you helped rescue. What  _was_  weird was that you didn't really know Erika, and now you were wandering into her gym after hours like you owned the place. The confused looks that you were getting from the trainers and other staff members weren't helping much either.

Finally you located the gym leader herself, sprawled out on the grass, seemingly asleep. Given her state the last time you saw her - this didn't surprise you much. Chances are, she was asleep.

Yet as you stepped closer, you saw her sit up, and noticed a familiar little Bulbasaur at her side dozing in the greenhouse heat.

Erika gave you a groggy smile, followed by a yawn. So she wasn't asleep when you walked in - just extremely close to it. "Hello, (Y/N)." She said, her voice faint and sleepy. 

"Hey." You replied with a grin. At the sound of your voice, the Bulbasaur's ears perked up, and it got to its feet, turning around to see who was there. His eyes grew bright when he saw you, and he came running over, not even slightly hindered by his missing leg. "Look at you! You're doing  _much_  better, aren't you!?" You beamed, taking him into your arms.

The small Pokemon happily cried out.

"He's missed you quite a bit." Erika got to her feet, and approached you. "He's been doing well, but he always seemed so lonely."

Your face twisted into a pout. "Poor lil' thing. Has he made any friends?"

"A couple. He's very shy." Erika's gentle brown eyes wandered from the Bulbasaur, to yours. "You're more than welcome to sit down, If you'd rather not sit on the grass, I could see about getting you a blanket."

"It's fine." You reassured her, and promptly sat on the ground. She followed suit, sitting across from you. "Thanks for letting me come see him."

"Please, don't thank me." She responded. "I'm glad that you want to visit him."

"Why wouldn't I want to visit?"

She shrugged, a melancholy look settling on her face. "You'd be surprised. Some people have a very 'out of sight, out of mind' view of Pokemon.. But this little Bulbasaur... You  _found_  him. You chose to rescue him, and you chose to visit..." The familiar, small smile returned to her face. "That says a lot about you.

Her words brought a sincere grin to your lips. "You're the one taking care of him. I think that says even more about you."

Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink at your remark - something you only caught for a moment before she turned her gaze to the ground, short dark hair covering her face and hiding it from your view. "It's my job."

"Yeah, well, you  _chose_  this job. You're not gonna weasel your way out of this compliment."

You weren't sure, but through the strands of her hair you could have sworn you saw her blush even darker.

【 **Koga** 】

"Good. You made it."

Koga's face appeared stern at first glance, but the wrinkles at the side of his eyes hinted at a well hidden smile.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything."

He chuckled lightly at your reply, opening the door to the Fuchsia Gym.

It was your first day training at the gym, and you had arrived bright and early for your orientation. The gym leader himself had hardly made it to the door before you showed up with a toothy grin plastered on your face and an eager bounce in your step. 

"I wish more of the trainers here felt like that." 

His comment surprised you - it hadn't occurred to you that there would be people out there who saw training at the gym to be a _job_. Sure, technically it was, but it always seemed like so much more than that to you. It was an opportunity that countless people wanted but very few got. You couldn't imagine anyone being less enthusiastic about it than you were. "I don't see how someone  _couldn't_."

"It's not always an easy job." He explained. "The training can be pretty rigorous."

You went to take another step further into the gym, when you were stopped by his hand placed firmly on your shoulder. "Let me lead."

The invisible walls -  _right_. You weren't familiar with how to make it through the gym without bumping into every single wall in the place. "Thanks." You sheepishly responded.

He didn't bother saying "you're welcome" - not with his words - but it seemed to be hinted in the sparkle in his dark eyes as he walked by.

You followed close behind him, mimicking each of his footsteps. He knew every movement and turn by heart, a testament to how long he had worked at the gym. You, on the other hand, were still painfully unfamiliar with the layout. You never trained with Janine  _in_  the gym, and the only time you two stopped in, you were told to wait at the entrance so she could make it in and out as fast as possible. It was going to take a lot of practice to figure out how to make it around, that much could be sure.

You reached the very back of the gym, following Koga's cue to stop in front of a small supply closet. 

"Before we get to anything else, I have a few things for you."

He opened it, revealing several shelves full of potions, antidotes, and revives. He took several of each, and handed them to you. You tucked them away into your bag and awaited further instruction.

"Heal before each battle. If you need more, they'll always be right here. Take as many as you need."

You nodded - well aware the real issue would be getting there in the first place.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

"Before I show you to your position, I have something else for you."

He reached into his pocket and revealed a Poke Ball. You cocked your brow, and waited for some sort of elaboration. His lips tightened into a small smile as he handed you the ball. "Open it."

You did as he said, and to your surprise you were greeted by a Nidorino. "Hey there." You grinned, kneeling down beside the Pokemon. He grunted in response, and eyed you suspiciously. He then turned back to Koga.

"That's (Y/N) - your new trainer." Koga explained.

The Pokemon turned back to you, the same skeptical look on its face.

An idea struck you - an ice breaker.

You reached into your bag and pulled out a handful of miscellaneous berries. "Here you go." You extended your hand to  him, and although he looked completely disinterested, after a moment he hesitantly leaned forward and ate them.

"Now that you two have met, I'll show you to your spot."

【 **Janine** 】

"I'm back!"

Janine didn't need to yell as loud as she did when she came through the door, as you were seated just to the left of it munching on some chips you had found in her snack stash.

"I'm right here." You replied, your mouth still slightly full.

"Oh! Sorry. Didn't see you there." She sheepishly giggled. "But I see you took me up on my offer." She gestured to the food in your hands.

"Yeah, and I'm surprised I'm not  _dead_." It was a struggle to keep a straight face as you spoke.

"If you wanna battle me without going through all the trainers, you better be nice."

You uttered the most appalled gasp you could muster. "You're not implying I'm being  _mean_  are you!?"

"Maybe." She crossed her arms, a sly grin on her lips. "Now come on. Let's battle."

"Right here?"

"Sure, why not? I don't need to make you go through the whole gym if you're not battling the others."

You nodded, perfectly content with not having to navigate the maze of the gym. You had heard from plenty of people before that it was a pain, and you weren't eager to experience it firsthand. "Let's do this."

And you did.

The battle was fairly quick - in fact you had spent longer waiting for Janine to return than you did challenging her.

And you had come out victorious.

"Good job." She beamed, handing you the Soul Badge. "Here's the Soul Badge. You earned it!"

"Thanks! But uh... Why's it called the soul badge? Isn't this a Poison gym?"

Her expression dropped, corners of her mouth pulling downwards. "You know, I have no idea. I asked my dad a few times but he's never given me a straight answer."

"You mean even  _he_  doesn't know?"

"He should! He's the one who named it!"

You couldn't help but laugh, and Janine followed suit.

"I think I'm gonna have to have a word with your father about this!"

"You better not! Then he might find out that I let you battle me without going through the gym! Then I'm gonna have to get that lecture like, 'Janine, that was very unprofessional of you! You're a gym leader now!' And I'm gonna have to be like, 'Sorry dad! I thought she was cool!'."

"Well that's your first mistake!" You said through giggles. "I'm not cool!"

"I think you are!"

"Are all these toxic fumes getting to you or something?"

"You're so mean!"

But you could tell by the light in her eyes and the smile on her face, she didn't mean it in the least.

【 **Sabrina** 】

You didn't want to go back to Sabrina's gym.

If your friend hadn't spent a solid week and a half begging you to accompany her again you wouldn't have at all. But in order to silence your friend's incessant pleas, you caved and found yourself face to face with the dark haired gym leader once again. You weren't as scared this time - possibly because you knew what to expect - but you still weren't thrilled with the situation.

"I knew you would return." Sabrina said, in that matter-of-fact way that made your skin crawl. 

And then you opened your mouth. Perhaps it was out of spite, or out of some desperate attempt to soothe yourself and disprove her abilities - you couldn't be sure, but it wasn't smart. " _Please_." You scoffed. "Are we really supposed to buy this whole 'psychic' thing?"

Her eyes locked on yours as she slowly strode across the room, until she was just a few feet in front of you. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah." Your voice was faltering. You weren't sure about that. You weren't sure about much at all at this point.

"Hm." She sounded almost amused.

And after a moment, you understood why.

In the air beside you was a Poke Ball, and your friend looking absolutely horrified. Your  _friend's_  Poke Ball, you figured, was more accurately what it was. And seeing such a thing occurring right before your eyes was  _amazing_.

"Okay, you know what? I take it back. You're legit, and that's  _incredible_." It was hard not to sound like an awestruck child as you spoke.

"I thought you might come around." She looked over at your friend just long enough to assure that the girl got her Poke Ball back, before returning to the opposite end of the room. "Now, if you want to battle..."

Of course your friend wanted to battle - and you pitied her for it. She lost again, even though she held out quite a bit longer this time around. Regardless, it wasn't the underdog victory she'd been preparing for.

"You're getting stronger." Sabrina said, recalling her Alakazam. "I look forward to seeing you both next time."

Your friend groaned in frustration. "What if I said there wasn't gonna be a next time?!"

"I'd already know you were lying."

You giggled, drawing the woman's attention back to you.

And much to your surprise, she smiled.

【 **Blaine** 】

It was one of those days - the ones where you wound up on Cinnibar Island stressed as could be, sitting on the beach scribbling in your notebook, until the sounds of the tide and the cool ocean breeze finally swept all your troubles out to sea. Unfortunately, the "scribbling in your notebook" part wasn't going along as you hoped. You were struck with terrible writer's block and just about every sentence you wrote wound up erased or crossed out so excessively that there was no hope to ever decipher what had been written there before. And something about that wasn't helping much with your "relaxation".

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, you heard footsteps in the sand behind you. But before you could cringe, or even think to scowl, you recognized them. It was the same unsteady gait, with the third "thud", that you had heard a week and a half before. You turned around to see if your suspicions proved true - and lo and behold they did.

Blaine was ambling over to you, a wide grin on his face. "Look who it is!"

You smiled back with little control - his smile was oddly contagious. "Hey! How have you been?"

"Alright." He replied, stopping and standing beside you. "You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

"Not at all." You were almost surprised he even had to ask, but you appreciated his courtesy nonetheless.

He lowered himself to the ground rather slowly, making you wonder why he decided to come down to the beach to see you at all. He didn't seem his age mentally, but physically it was clear that he was up there in his years. You almost wanted to ask him if he needed any help, but before you could get the words out of your mouth, he was seated quite comfortably in the sand beside you.

"Writing anything good?"

You chuckled slightly at his remark. "Honestly I'm not writing much of anything at the moment. I've got some pretty bad writer's block."

"Huh..." He was eyeing your notebook, almost as if he was attempting to make out any word he could on the page. "Mind if I read what you've got so far?"

You were hesitant to let someone you hardly know read your work, but he had come all the way down from the gym just to talk to you, and you didn't want to make that a waste of his time. "Sure... It starts a few pages before that though." You flipped to the very start of the project you had been working on and handed it over to Blaine.

He began to read it, and as he continued you were surprised with the attention he was paying to your work. Typically people would just say "this is good!" and that was that. But not Blaine. He was taking his time, pointing out every little aspect of it that he enjoyed, and helping you rework certain parts until they made more sense. He wasn't reading it out of obligation, or helping you out of pity. He was legitimately interested in your work, and something about that made the smile on your face grow even wider (if that was even possible).

This went on for about forty minutes, before he finished up what you had already written.

"I better get back to the gym." He said with a laugh. "My lunch break is only supposed to be fifteen minutes." He seemed to notice the look of distress on your face at his comment. "Don't feel like you kept me here. I wouldn't have stayed if I didn't want to. You've got talent, you know that?"

"Thanks... You really think so?"

"Of course I do. I've read a lot in my day, and I can say that you've got something going for you... I'll be seeing you!"

He hoisted himself out of the sand and began the trek back to his gym.

And you?

You figured out the next part of your story.

【 **Giovanni** 】

Your hands were trembling as you reached for the doorknob to Giovanni's office, and your heart was pounding in your chest. Your mission had been an utter failure, and sure, you didn't want to be a "bad guy", but if you were one you at least wanted to be good at it. And of course that didn't work out, leaving you to deliver the bad news to your boss, who had claimed to have faith in you. Who trusted you with a  _very_  important job that you managed to screw up.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door.

"(Y/N). Come in." He was seated behind his desk, eyeing some papers - financial information, you figured. He placed the paper down on the table and looked at you expectantly. "Have a seat."

You did as he said, sitting across from him. "I wanted to update you on-"

"No need. I already heard about the mission."

"It-"

"It was a disaster."

His words caused a sinking feeling in your chest, and your cheeks to grow hot as your humiliation grew. You directed your gaze down at your lap, wanting nothing more than to shrink and disappear from his sight.

"But, by no fault of your own."

You looked up at him, stunned by that additional statement.

He seemed to catch on to your shock, as he explained further. "The grunts were given very specific demands that they failed to carry out."

"The... grunts?" Technically, that's what you were considered - why he didn't lump you in with them was unclear.

"I consider you... Above them." He elaborated. "You're not an Executive, but you have the potential to be. I can tell."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't mean it." His face showed no indication of lying. "That's why I refuse to give up on you. You're more than just a pretty face. I know that for a fact."

Your eyes grew wide, you stammered for a response, your face heated up at his remark and there was no doubt in your mind that if you weren't visibly freaking out  _before_  he said that last part, you certainly were  _after_.

He chuckled - which did absolutely nothing for the state you were in other than make it worse.

"(Y/N), you're free to go. I'll have another assignment for you soon."

"Th-thank you, sir."

【 **Lorelei** 】

You stood outside Icefall Cave, far more frantic than before. At some point in your escape you had lost your Trainer Card, and given the state of the cave itself there was absolutely no guarantee that you'd ever get it back. But the card was far too valuable to risk leaving behind, so you decided to wait. 

That meant standing impatiently by the entrance for Team Rocket to leave, or Lorelei to give you the "OK" to go back inside. That's assuming she managed to defeat them all.

You wanted to scream - this was all too stressful. You just wanted to train, not get tangled up in a mess like that.

Just as your anxiety began to get the best of you, you heard a voice. A woman's voice.

Followed by a woman standing directly in front of you.  _Lorelei_.

"Good, you're still here." She had a gentle smile on her face. "I was worried you left already."

"Yeah. I lost my -"

"Trainer Card?" She extended her hand towards you - in her grasp a completely unscathed card with your name on it.

"Thank you so much!" You couldn't contain yourself. Any amount of dignity you had was already lost sometime around the moment where you collided with her and fell on your ass, so there was very little point trying to play it cool and look like some sort of suave, functional human being. "Where did you find it?!"

"On the ground." She explained as you took it from her hand and tucked it safely away in your bag. "It was a few feet from where you - er,  _we_  - fell."

You giggled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm uh... Still sorry about that."

"Don't be." She said in the same reassuring tone she used when the incident first happened.

"So uh... What happened with Team Rocket?"

"I took care of them." She proudly stated.

"Seriously?!"

She nodded. "My Lapras came from this cave, and I've spent quite a lot of time training here. I wasn't going to let them harm the Pokemon here."

"Sorry I wasn't more help."

"I wouldn't ask  _anyone_  to try and battle Team Rocket. I would have done the same thing if I were you." The sincerity in her voice was soothing. "But I've got to get back to the Pokemon League... I'll see you around?"

"Sure thing."

She took a step, before freezing and turning back to you. "I almost forgot!" She pulled something out of her pocket - a crumpled piece of paper. "I think you dropped this too."

She handed it to you, before turning and walking away.

You unfolded the unfamiliar paper.

Written in impeccable handwriting was the name "Lorelei", and her Pokegear number.

【 **Agatha** 】

It had been two weeks since Agatha goaded you about challenging the Elite Four. You were determined not to let her remark get to you, but clearly that plan failed somewhere along the line because you had wound up at the Pokemon League for the exact reason of proving yourself to the old woman. And although that wasn't your goal, you seemed to be accomplishing it pretty well. The first two members of the Elite Four were already defeated, and you were entering the next room prepared for another battle, impatiently awaiting the moment you came face to face with Agatha and could show her that you were  _exactly_  as good as Professor Oak had told her, if not  _better_.

And there she was, with her dusty blonde hair and obsidian eyes staring intently at you, a smug smirk tugging at her lips. "(Y/N)! You actually showed up! I was beginning to wonder about that."

"I wanted to see if you guys were really all that good." You replied, remembering the way she questioned your strength when she posed the challenge.

"He told me you were a fiery one." She laughed. "Let's get to it then!"

She sent out a Gengar, initiating the battle.

You followed suit, sending out your trustiest Pokemon and waited for her to make the first move. Once she did? No holding back. You went all out in the battle, the way you would if there was more on the line than  _just_ the criticism of some friend of the Professor. 

And it seemed to work.

Her final Pokemon - an Arbok - fainted with about half the effort you put forth.

"Hah! So that's what the old coot sees in you!" She was beaming as she recalled her unconscious Pokemon. "No wonder Sam talks about you so much. You're really something!"

"Thanks." You grinned. "You're not half bad yourself."

She chuckled at your remark. "Better get moving before I close that door on you and make you start from the beginning."

Agatha was trouble - there was no doubt about it. But somehow, it was pretty refreshing.

【 **Bruno** 】

If there was one thing you could be sure of, it was that even though you were an actual Challenger this time, the security at the Pokemon League still wasn't entirely fond of you.

If there was  _another_  thing you could be sure of, it was that you really didn't care.

There were bigger, more important things to worry about, such as the fact that you had forgotten to buy potions and were now almost completely out of them while you were battling the Elite Four, otherwise known as the one time that every trainer should have a surplus of healing supplies.

The odds weren't looking good, but you weren't just going to turn around and give up. You were going to see how far you could get without them. And apparently the answer was "past the first room".

Which is what brought you to standing in front of Bruno - the burly Fighting Type specialist you had met a couple weeks prior to your challenge while helping your friend get her Trainer Card back. You weren't sure if he remembered you, but you definitely remembered him. And although he no longer seemed intimidating as a person, he still struck you as quite a threat in battle. 

"Look who it is!" The smile on his face seemed incredibly out of place. "Are you here for a battle this time?"

"Yeah, I am." You grinned. "If you're up for it."

"I was wondering what you would be like as an opponent... Now, show me."

The battle commenced - but there was one thought that was burning at the back corners of your mind, taking your attention away from the fight.  _He was wondering what you would be like as an opponent_. This means that at some point since you met him, he was thinking about you. Perhaps at  _multiple_  points. You had stayed in Bruno's thoughts since that very first encounter as more than just the strange girl with the security escort trying to assist her friend. You were  _someone_  to him. And-

And you lost.

You had done well for what you had to work with, but given your lack of supplies you simply had too many disadvantages.

"You're strong." There was no doubt in his voice. "I can tell you take training seriously."

"I try my hardest... And thanks."

"There's nothing to thank me for."

"You called me strong. What? Am I not supposed to thank people for compliments anymore."

"How about instead of thanking me, you give me your name."

"(Y/N)."


End file.
